When asked directly if FIFA copied PES, Murphy replied: "Yes. I wouldn't say they are actively doing that right now. I'm saying they have a long history of copying PES to get to where they want to be.

"People shouldn't forget that's how they got where they are. You can give them loads of credit for how they've got to where they got to now, and you can see it as a totally valuable product in its own right that does have ideas we can all learn from, but we shouldn't forget that PES innovated all of this stuff and they did copy it.

"For example, this year they're talking about the AI and gameplay as being a key force, which is exactly what we were dealing with last year as a key feature. That's not a coincidence, I'm sure.

"I'm not going to start knocking the fact they've pushed the football genre onwards, while we were stagnating, and they've invested properly in this generation of consoles. That's really kicked them on.

"But it's just a bit galling at times that people throw FIFA in your face constantly, and you're thinking, well hold on, the only reason why FIFA is in the position it's in now is because of PES. And it doesn't mean to say FIFA will always occupy that position."

Murphy also speculated that the money Electronic Arts spends on marketing and locking the PES franchise out of licensing was a factor in the gap between the two games.